2003 BMW X5

THE LEFT REAR TAIL LIGHT CONTINUES TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY. THE 'CHECK BRAKE, CHECK REAR LIGHT' WARNING ILLUMINATES EVEN AFTER BULBS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. I HAVE REPLACED THE BULBS NUMEROUS TIMES, WITH THE MOST RECENT BEING A FEW DAYS AGO. YET, THE WARNING MESSAGE REAPPEARED THIS EVENING. THE PROBLEM IS SIMILAR TO THOSE RECENTLY INVESTIGATED BY NHTSA ON OTHER BMW MODELS SUCH AS THE 3 SERIES AND IS A COMMON COMPLAINT IN BMW FORUMS AND OTHER FORUMS ON THE INTERNET.

2003 BMW X5 4.4I TRANSFER CASE/FRONT DRIVE SHAFT FAILED LEAVING CAR STRANDED ON A RAILROAD CROSSING WITH NO POWER. RR LIGHTS BEGAN TO FLASH BUT MANAGED TO PUSH CAR OFF TRACKS IN TIME ONCE WE FOUND HELP (TOO HEAVY TO PUSH ALONE). SAME FAILURE AT 90K MILES HAD STRANDED CAR ON A LOCAL STREET ABOUT 2.5 YEARS EARLIER. BMW REPLACED TRANSFER CASE AND FRONT DRIVE SHAFT UNDER CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED WARRANTY. CURRENT FAILURE OCCURRED ON TRANSFER CASE/DRIVE SHAFT LESS THAN 40K MILES / 2.5 YEARS OLD. SAME FAILURE IS WELL DOCUMENTED WITH NUMEROUS OTHER OWNERS ON VARIOUS INTERNET MESSAGE BOARDS. RESEARCH SUGGESTS THE FAILURE IS DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW INVOLVING INSUFFICIENT SPLINE ENGAGEMENT AND POOR PLACEMENT OF A/C CONDENSATE DRAIN DIRECTLY ABOVE TRANSFER CASE / SHAFT CONNECTION CAUSING ACCELERATED RUSTING OF DRIVE SHAFT SPLINES WHICH EVENTUALLY WEAKEN AND STRIP OUT. ATTEMPTED TO GET BMW TO COVER REPAIR OUT-OF-WARRANTY DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES OF EARLY FAILURE OF A DRIVETRAIN PART. MULTIPLE CALLS (MESSAGES FOR SERVICE MANAGERS) TO TWO LOCAL DEALERSHIPS WENT UNRETURNED. CALL TO BMWNA WAS UNHELPFUL - WOULD NOT TAKE ANY ACTION UNTIL CAR WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION AT MY EXPENSE AND WOULD (AT BEST) BE REPAIRED WITH SAME PARTS OF POOR DESIGN. *TR *KB

2003 BMW X5 RADIATOR CRACKED DURING DRIVING AND WATER SPILLED. CAR WAS IDLING AND SMOKY SMELL AND OIL PRESS, STOP ENGINE PROBLEMS. HAD 2 CHILDREN IN THE CAR WHILE DRIVING AND SEEMS LIKE CONNECTION/HOSE PROBLEMS WHICH DO NOT ALLOW THE ENGINE TO WORK PROPERLY. DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE CAR, WON'T HOLD THE COOLANT WATER IN. A CAR THIS EXPENSIVE SHOULD NOT BE SO DEFECTIVE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE OBSERVED SMOKE COMING OUT FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF DRIVER SEAT. SLOWLY FELT THE HEAT SENSATION GROWING STRONGER IN THE AREA. ALMOST IN A PANIC, AND AT GREAT RISK TO MYSELF AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD, TRIED TO NAVIGATE THROUGH TRAFFIC ON THE BUSY STREET, TO THE RIGHT HAND TURN LANE, WHILE TRYING TO AVOID WHAT WAS OBVIOUSLY GROWING INTO A FIRE IN THE SEAT. HAD TO AVOID SITTING IN THAT AREA OF THE SEAT, WHILE KEEPING THE SEAT BELT ON IN CASE THERE WAS A CRASH. FINALLY MADE IT TO A PARKING LOT AND JUMPED OUT. THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE LEATHER SEAT THAT WAS SMOLDERING. THE SEAT HEATER HAD BURNED A HOLE THROUGH THE LEATHER SEAT. TRIED TO FIND SOMETHING TO DOUSE IT OUT WITH BEFORE IT SPREAD TO OTHER PARTS OF THE SEAT. ALSO, DISCOVERED THAT MY PANTS WERE STILL SMOLDERING ON THE REAR LEFT LEG TOWARDS THE HIP AREA. THERE WERE TWO HOLES BURNED INTO THE PANTS FROM CONTACT WITH THE BURNING SEAT. CALLED THE DEALER AND SCHEDULED A SERVICE APPOINTMENT. CALLED BMW NA, WHO SAID THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY OTHER SUCH INCIDENTS AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE DIAGNOSIS FROM THE DEALER. THEIR ATTITUDE ALSO SEEMED VERY LAISSEZ-FAIRE ABOUT THE WHOLE THING, SEEMINGLY NOT TO CARE SINCE I WASN'T REPORTING ANY INJURIES. JUST THE FACT THAT MY SEAT WAS ON FIRE AND I BARELY AVOIDED GETTING IN A CRASH AND GETTING BURNED, WHILE MY PANTS ACTUALLY DID GET BURNED! MEANWHILE RESEARCHED THE INCIDENT AND FOUND ONE CASE REPORTED ON THIS VERY NHTSA WEBSITE, SEVERAL OTHERS ON THE X5 ON VARIOUS FORUMS AND A DOCUMENTED RECALL ON THE 5 SERIES FOR A SIMILAR ISSUE WITH THE SEAT HEATER. NOW BMW WANTS TO COVER ONLY THE COST OF THE PARTS AND NOT EVEN THE LABOR TO GET IT INSTALLED? FORGET ABOUT MY PANTS, OR THE TIME/EFFORT AND STRESS ALL THIS HAS CAUSED, THAT I DIDN'T EVEN ASK TO BE COMPENSATED FOR. NHTSA - WHY HAS THERE NOT BEEN A RECALL ON THE BMW X5 FOR THIS ISSUE AS YET? IS IT NECESSARY TO WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE IS KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THIS OR GETS BURNED? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND EXHAUST PIPE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE OIL SEPARATOR WAS LEAKING AND DRAINED ONTO THE EXHAUST PIPE AND ENGINE ABNORMALLY, CAUSING THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD ONLY OCCUR IN COLD TEMPERATURES. THE OIL SEPARATOR WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,200.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH SMOKE STARTING COMING THROUGH THE VENTS WITHOUT ANY WARNINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE CCV VALVE FROZE CAUSING AN OIL SPILLAGE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 58,076. UPDATED 3/14/11 *CN ACCORDING TO THE INVOICE, THE VALVE COVER GASKET WAS LEAKING OIL EXCESSIVELY. UPDATED 06/24/11

COLD WEATHER (NEW YORK WINTER). 2003 BMW X5, 3.0 ENGINE SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. OIL SEPARATOR AND VALVE COVER GASKET FAULTY. THE CRANK CASE VALVE FREEZES, CAUSING OIL TO SPILL INTO THE ENGINE. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED THREE TIMES. 1. FEB 13 2008 2. JAN 28 2009 AND 3. JAN 2011. TOTAL COST FOR USED ENGINE $6,000 THIS YEAR AND $3000 IN 2008/2009 TO REPAIR. SPARK PLUGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, ENGINE NEEDED TO BE CLEANED 2008 AND DEFECTIVE DISA VALVE REPLACED 2009.